Airport Lingo : Ramp vs Apron vs Tarmac

When you sit in the airport staring out the windows at all the planes parked at their gates what area of the airport are you looking at? The Ramp? The Apron? The Tarmac?

The answer is … not the tarmac. Tarmac, while commonly used as a term to describe where airplanes are parked, is in fact a type of road surface and is the trademark of Tarmac Limited, a British construction company, that produces the “tarmac” used to surface the parking areas of some airports, roadways, parking lots, etc … despite the majority of airport parking areas being paved with concrete.

… but if the ICAO and FAA call the area where aircraft are parked, refueled, unloaded, loaded and boarded an Apron, where does the term “Ramp” come from? Ramp is primarily a U.S. term, although universally accepted in the U.S., and used by tower controllers, it is not a term officially used by the FAA.

The term ‘Ramp‘ traces its roots back to the days of seaplanes when there literally was a ramp from the water to the terminal parking area. The historical usage of the term ramp has not left the lexicon of airport terminology in the U.S., despite the official change in terminology.

If you want to watch planes on the Tarmac you need to visit a limited number of airports in the United Kingdom and stare at the pavement below the wheels … everywhere else, you’re looking out over the Apron.

About Me

Fish has been covering aviation and transportation security issues since September 15, 2001, after walking away from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan following four days of documenting the worst aviation security disaster in history.

Having spent more than a decade-and-a-half as a full-time photojournalist, Fish now divides his time between building social media and social commerce strategies and solutions for global travel brands, along with researching aviation and transportation security.

Growing up at the end up New York's JFK International Airport's Runway 4R/22L probably explains Fish’s enjoyment of watching planes fly overhead. When not working or shooting photos, Fish can be found playing with (and cleaning up after) his three kids, chasing his dogs, standing in the kitchen cooking, monitoring radios public safety and federal radios and of course cheering for the Red Sox.

You can find Fish on Twitter at @flyingwithfish …and … join Fish every Thursday at 3:30pm EST as he hosts the weekly #TNI #Travel Chat on Twitter.